Next week, the New York Anime Festival and VIZ Pictures are combining forces to hold some pre-show special events in New York City. First up is Death NoteDay at Kinokuniya (the largest Japanese bookstore in North America). On Tuesday 28 April, Kinokuniya Bookstore (1073 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan) will present an evening of Death Note events in celebration of the theatrical release of the third Death Note film, L, change the WorLd. At 6:30, they’ll have a screening of the Death Note anime, followed at 7 by giveaways including free tickets to the theatrical release, Death Note manga, DVDs, and other prizes from VIZ Pictures.
Death Note: L, change the WorLd is “inspired by the immensely popular Death Note features, which are based on the best-selling supernatural action manga series written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, but this spin-off follows a new, original storyline. [It] introduces the unwritten chapter of Death Note and reveals how the legendary detective L (Kenichi Matsuyama) spends the final 23 days of his life. The story begins as L takes on the ‘Kira’ case, in which countless criminals are dying under mysterious circumstances. L successfully solves the case and stops Kira, but only after sacrificing his life, leaving himself with only 23 days left to live. For his final case, L faces down a bio-terrorist group trying to wipe out humanity with a deadly virus ten times more potent than Ebola. As L tries to formulate an antidote with a scientist, he must also save the lives of two children who have no one else to turn to.”
Death Note: L, change the WorLd, will be shown in a subtitled version on 29 April, and in an English-dubbed version on 30 April, in theaters across the US. A complete list of theatre locations and prices, is available at FathomEvents.com
On 1 May, Kinokuniya will host Japanese pop star Ai Kawashima (who is also in town to participate in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Sakura Matsuri on May 2 and 3). The singer, author, and seiyuu will be at the store for the 4PM screening of One Piece: The Desert Princess and the Pirates—Adventure in Alabasta, in which she appears as Mayday and performs the film’s ending theme. Then, at 5:30, she’ll be talking about her life, music, fans, and coming to America.
Finally, the Sakura Matsuri festival is looking for cosplayers to participate in their media day on Tuesday 28 April. For details, and to apply, see this post. Sakura Matsuri is a Japanese cultural festival that—in recent years—has also become a destination for anime fans. This year, for the first time, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is recognizing this with anime programming, guests, and booths.